View of the sign for Loxahatchee Groves Elementary school surrounded by flood waters left behind by Tropical Storm Issac, along Okeechobee Blvd. and 162nd drive North Tuesday in Loxahatchee Groves.The entrance to the school parking lot was also under water. (Bill Ingram/Palm Beach Post)

The Palm Beach County School District kept closed eight schools in the Loxahatchee and Acreage areas due to flooding of streets in those areas that prevented access to those schools. It’s unclear at this point whether those schools will be open Thursday.

The decision to open some schools but not others is apparently unprecedented in this county; in the past, superintendents have focused on all-or-nothing strategies.

As the district struggled Tuesday to decide whether to open schools today, the district sent emails and consulted with the county and individual municipalities to get a clearer idea of the scope of the problem in the largest county east of the Mississippi.

Here’s an email sent Tuesday morning by district Planning Director Kris Garrison to county and city administrators:

For those of you who have schools in or adjacent to your jurisdiction, we would appreciate your assistance in determining where there are access issues associated with public schools. This would include any sidewalk and roadway access problems that would affect our ability to open a school tomorrow.
Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

The district’s final decision to close the eight schools was based on a recommendation from the Indian Trail Improvement District not to put buses or cars on the roads in its area, said district spokesman Nat Harrington.

How did the first day back to school go for you and your students?

Were there any transportation issues? Flooding or problems at or near any schools? We’d love to hear how it was for students headed back to classes after having nearly as many days off as they’ve had in school.